Jewelry clasp



March 26,1946. H. MILLER 2,397,284

JEWELRY CLASP Filed Aug. 30, 1944 23 A? 6 a 'ze 14 7 ,D

IN VEN TOR.

, izfy Miller;

Patented Mar. 26, 1946 JEWELRY CLASP Henry Miller; Newark, N. 1., assignor to. W. 0.

Edge Company. Newark, N. L, a corporation of New Jersey Appfinabifln August so, 1944, Serial 551.827

(or. s r-2.41;)

2' Claims.

This invention relates to im-provementsin clasps 1 for jewelry; and the invention has reference, more particularly, to improved construction or safety clasp for bracelets, necklaces-and similar articles.

This invention has for an object to provide a novel safety clasp means for coupling together separable meeting ends-oi various articles of jewelry, such as bracelets, necklaces and the like; and to this end commises cooperative clasp members of the-hook and eye type, the hookprovided clasp member having novel ma-nipulatable means to close and open the hook.

The invention has for a turt her object to provide clasp means for the purposes stated comprising a hook provided clasp member and an eye provided clasp member, the formerhaving a lever element pivotally mounted thereon, one arm of said lever el'ementbeing adapted to: cooperate With the bill of the hook for closing the the hook element i=3 thereof, as hereinafter described. said body A comprises-a top wall lmwhich extends rearwardly from the top edge of a transverse partition wall H and a bottom wall 12 which extends forwardly from the lower edge of said partition wall H. Said bottom wall 1 2 tor-minat-es in an upturned hook element 1 3 having a rearwardl-y extending bill M spaced above the plane of said bottomwall it. Integral with the opposite side margins of said top wall, to depend therefrom, are side walls 15'. These side walls 1-5 exceed in length the length of said top wall so as to extend forwardly beyond the transverse-pa n ti-tion wall I I, thus providing opposed perforate bearing ears Ni adjacent opposite-sidesof said bottom wall 1 2-.

hook, andthe other arm of said lever elementbeing provided with snap catch means encageable with the body of the hook provided claspmember for releasably retaining said lever'elementin hook closing position.

Other objects of this invention,,not at thisxtime more particularly enumerated. will :be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

Illustrative embodiments of this invention are i ,1

' hook bill Ml of the hook element [3 oft-he latter,

shown in the accompanying drawing, which:v

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the closed safety clasp according to this invention as applied to meeting ends of a bracelet; Fig. 2 is a side; elevational view thereof; Fig. 3. is a central longitudinal sectional view thereof; and Fig. 4 is a sec.- tional view similar to that of Fig. 3, but showin the safety clasp opened to disconnect the meeting ends of the bracelet.

Fig. 5' is .a topplan view or: the closed safety clasp according to this invention as applied to meeting ends of anecklace.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring tothe drawing, the reference character A indicates the body of a hook provided clasp member and B indicates the body of a cooperating eye provided clasp member; said clasp members being respectively attached to the respective meeting end portions C and D of a bracelet body.

The hook provided clasp member, in a preferred form thereof, is shaped from a sheet metal blank to form the hollow body A from which extends The eye provided clasp member, in a preferred formthereef, is likewise shaped from a sheet metal blank to form a hollow'body' EB fromwhlch extends theeye element! 9 thereof, and-comprises a top wall H, having a downwardly turned end Wall 1-8 which terminates in a forwardly extending eye element 19 disposed in a dKJWHWai-(IllyOffset'plane substantially parallel: to the plane of said top wall H. Integral the opposite side margins of said top wall 41, to depend therefrom, aresid-e walls 2-0.

To couple the eye provided clasp member B with the hook provided clasp member A, the; eye element ll! of the former is engaged: over the so as to lodge in the bight-of" said hook element, as shown in Figs. 1 to3- inclusive. g

The novel means, according to this invention,

T for closing the hook element 1 3 against accidental displacement of the engaging eyeelement N! therefrom, comprises a manipulatable hook closure means which-is carried by the hook provided clasp member. This closure: means come prises a safety lever element 2 I having perforate 7 fulcrum cars 22 dependent from its sides; and

which are aligned with the bearing ears. Hi of the hook provided claspmember. Said fulcrum ears 22 are pivotallysupported inconneotionwith said bearing ears l-B-by atransversepintle member- 23 adaptedto extendtherethrough and said lever element is provided with an actuating arm 25, so shaped and dimensioned as to overlie and abut the top wall it! of the hook provided clasp member, when said lever element is rocked to a position to engage its hook closure arm 24 with the hook bill l4, and thus disposed in closed relation to the hook element l3. Struck downwardly and outwardly from the body of said actuating arm 25 is a resilient catch tongue 2B, the free 'end portion of which is shaped to provide a catch nosing 21. Provided inthe top wall I!) of the hook provided clasp member is an opening 28, through which the catch tongue 23 may pro- 1 ject, and over an edge 29 of which the catch nosing 2'! may snap to releasably secure the lever element in hook closed position. If desired, the

element may be suitably shaped to provide, a

fingernail engageable lip 30, whereby the operator may manipulate the lever element to swing thesame to the open hook'position shown in Fig. 4. 1 f 1 The cooperating clasp members Aand B may be respectively connected in anysuitable manner to the respective meeting end portions of a bracelet, necklaoe or similar article to be served therefby. If said clasp members are employed in a bracelet structure, the same are preferably made of a width substantially corresponding to the width of the bracelet endportions, and may be either permanently or detachably connected with the latter. By way of illustration, but not with limiting intent, each clasp member is shown in Figs. 1 to,4 inclusive as provided with means for detachably afiixing the same, to bracelet end portions C and D; and to such end, said clasp members'A and B are so constructed as to provide the same with outwardly open chambers 3| underlying their top Walls between their side walls, into which chambers 3| the bracelet end portions may be respectively inserted. To detachably secure the inserted end portions of the bracelet respectively to said respective clasp members, each of the'latter is provided with a clamp lever 32 pivotally supported between the side walls thereof beneath their top walls. Said clamp levers 32 have clamp jaws 33 projecting toward said top walls, said jaws 33 being operable by up-swinging of the clamp levers to engage the inserted brace-- let end portions so as to pinchingly grip and secure the latter between 'said jaws and the top walls of the clasp members. a

If ,saidclasp members are to be employed in outer'end of said actuating arm 25 of thelever necklace structure, the same may be sized for correspondence thereto. This is shown in Fig. 5 wherein the coupled clasp members A and B are of comparatively narrow width and respectively except, however, that the bodies of said clasp members A and B have modified outer end formations for attachment of the necklace end portions thereto, which, as illustratively shown, in-

clude anchor eyes 34 to receive attachment of said necklace ends.

It will be obvious from the above description that the instant invention provides a very simple and efiicient coupling clasp structure of the hook and eye type, including a' novel pivoted safety lever means cooperative with the hook element, which may be readily swung to hook closing or opening position at will, and which, by reason of itsincluded novel snap catch means, is securely but releasably disposed in hook closing position,

whereby to guardthe clasp members against ac-' cidental separation.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. In a jewelry clasp of the hook and'eye type,

a hook section comprising a body formed by a perpendicular transverse partition wall, atop yond said partition wall contiguous to said bottom wall, said bottom wall having an upturned hook at its free end, a safety lever element having fulcrum ears pivotally related to said bearingears, said lever element having at one end a hook closure arm movable within the hook interior to selective positions adapted to open or close the hook and at its other end an actuating arm adapted to overlie said body'top wall,

and said actuating arm and body top wall having cooperating snap catch means to releasably-hold .said lever element disposed with its hook closure arm in hook closing position;

2. In a jewelry clasp of the hook and eye type, a hook section comprising a body formed by a perpendicular transverse partition wall, a top wall extending from the top of said partition wall, a bottom wall extending oppositely from the bottom of said partition wall, and side walls dependent from said top wall and terminating in transversely opposed bearingears disposed be;

yond said partition wall contiguous to said bottom wall, said bottom wallhaving an upturned hook at its free end, a safety lever element having fulcrum ears pivotally related to said bearing ears, said lever elementhaving'at one end a hook closure arm movable within the hook in-. terior to'selective positions adapted to open or close the hook and at its other end an actuating arm adapted to overlie said body top wall, and

said actuating arm having a resilient catch.

tongue projecting'from its underside, said catch tongue terminating in a catch nosing, said body top wall having an opening to receive said catch tongue, and said opening having an edge engageable by said catch nosing, whereby to releasablyhold said lever element disposed with its hook position. HENRY MILLER.

closure arm in hook closing 

